Living Car Free - Car-light, now accidently car-free!

I sold my car a couple of months ago, as I was barely using it. Not because I was cycling everywhere, but because I could do my errands on my way home in my work van. Now I've been made semi-redundant and forcibly transferred to another department, and they're taking the van away at the end of the week. So this week I made two 5.5 mile trips to the grocery store, having bought a hybrid with a pannier rack and panniers for the purpose, and it worked out fine. Shakedowns done, I'll be doing that at least once a week.

I'm going to be getting to work on the bus (25 miles each way is too far for me to cycle at the moment) possibly finishing the last mile and a bit from the bus stop with my Brompton. I have two training courses to attend in Edinburgh (140 miles away), one this week, the other in two weeks. The first one I'll take the van, a tent, and my Brompton, and experiment with various setups; the next course, when I'll be vanless, I'll take my Brompton and hopefully my camping gear on the train.

The big test will come in January, when I have to get a posh suit to my brother's wedding 400 miles away with a combination of Brompton and bus!

The big test will come in January, when I have to get a posh suit to my brother's wedding 400 miles away with a combination of Brompton and bus!

Good luck on your efforts. What I did a couple of years ago when I had to attend a distant wedding was to go to a Men's Wearhouse close to my home and get measured for a rental suit. Then I flew to New Jersey and picked up the suit at a Men's Wearhouse close to the wedding. I looked Mahvelous! Perhaps Scotland has a similar chain of stores.

I believe you can buy a bag that's specifically made for packing a suit into a travel bag (such as backpack or pannier). I haven't traveled with a suit in a long time but I think I still have the little bag with the plastic stiffener thing made for my suit.

Experiment with your own suit, but a decent wool suit should come out wrinkle-free. Just roll it up carefully. The hard part will be getting the shirt there without wrinkles. Either pack a brand new shirt (still in the pins and packaging) or buy a shirt after you get there.

But rather than taking the bike to the wedding, could you just get a ride from the bus depot? At most weddings, they expect to have to pick up people coming from out of town.

But rather than taking the bike to the wedding, could you just get a ride from the bus depot?

I'm sure I could, but I'd rather get there under my own steam. And show off my Brompton, which always draws a crowd when I fold it! I have a few months to work it out, if it doesn't work then I could just be a pedestrian I suppose. But that's no fun!

My course this week has been postponed, so my first try at cycle camping will have no car backup. Excellent, I love an adventure!